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63 from the obvious factors such as price and fitness for purpose , two integral points in any industry ’ s mobile app strategy are boosting awareness and keeping your audience engaged .
# 1 : Fitness for purpose and usage : With any management system , fitness for purpose is one of the most important considerations . You need to understand what purpose the new technology ( an app in this case ) is intended to serve and then make sure it can do that , or at least most of it , and also has the potential to grow with your needs .
Research shows that simplifying the user ’ s life and ease of operation are two key drivers of app usage . In fact , 63 % of frequently used apps have an attribute that makes the user ’ s life easier . One of the key considerations in deciding whether an app is fit for your purpose is determining how much value that app will add to the community member ’ s life .
# 2 : Integration : Once introduced , the app will have to be supported and maintained . The multiplicity of databases and systems that need to be co-ordinated is already a massive challenge for community management committees , and you need to take care not to let the app become yet another administrative burden . Making applications part of , or at least smoothly integrated with , the rest of the community ’ s management systems should be an important consideration . to carry a price tag of at least R 100 000 and probably more than R 500 000 . The upfront development cost is not all , though . The total cost of ownership of the application to the entire community includes the costs to members ( subscription fees ) and operational costs as well . Research has shown that 82 % of users are price-sensitive when asked to download an app , and that three out of four people expect apps to be free . To ensure good member uptake and usage , we do not recommend charging the members for downloading or using the app .
# 4 : App discovery and installation : Apps are different from websites in that members can ’ t simply search for it in Google and then start using it . The app needs to be introduced to members , who should then be guided to the app for installation . A decision also needs to be made about what platforms the app should be made available on ( e . g . iPhone , Android ), as separate apps are required for the different mobile operating systems .
Regardless of the details about platforms , introduction methods and so on , the app will have to be promoted and supported by the management committee . As with any new system , members will have to be educated and assisted on the benefits and uses of the app .
Adriaan Odendaal www . glovent . co . za
# 3 : Price ( total cost of ownership for the community ): Costing a mobile app is very much like costing a website , in that the pricing varies greatly . It is also very difficult to compare quotes , as it is almost impossible to know exactly what will be delivered . Application development is not cheap , though , and developing a good lifestyle application for residential communities is likely
References : www . marketingland . com www . thinkwithgoogle . com www . thenextweb . com www . nielsen . com